Thursday 26 February 2009

Pause for reflection

This blog is so many things. Like a helpmate. It has to be. Dig is away, doing important things. When he is gone, no one comes round. They are sane. Then my blog is my ally, to whom I confide the gory details of the home educating day, when Shark is a right little madam. Squirrel and Tiger not much better.

And this blog is therapy, definitely. As good as the kitchen bin which I would kick the shit out of, if I could afford to replace it fifteen times a year. In fact, because for thirty minutes each day smacking the keyboard I can take time to sort everything out, this blog has probably saved me some £547 in kitchen bin replacement.

I know this blog is foolishly public, so this process is akin to walking down the street naked flagellating myself with electrical wire, but I remain consoled that at the end I can see straight and get things in perspective, albeit from the viewpoint of my disturbed head. It is like walking towards a huge slab of Lindt chilli chocolate. I will get there in the end. And en route I don't really mind having my failures exposed. So my blog is consoler, comforter, and rewarder.

Then maybe one day some notes from this blog will find their way out of an old office file condemned to the tip and show the little grits that some days, somewhere along the line, their mother was capable of joined up words and moments of rational coherent thought, and was not just a mad old bag shouting at bus stops.

Finally my blog is recorder for life. Here I can take the time to pause to reflect and savour a moment and build a memory of a day with Shark, Squirrel and Tiger. I know it will never happen just the same again.

It's not been a wildly exciting day here at the Pile, as you can probably tell. Today I got round to giving Shark, Squirrel and Tiger their birthday presents. Scrapbooking packs. From Hobbycraft. All is quiet, bar the swishing of scissors and squirting of glue, and there are paper daisies strewn over the floor.

8 comments:

Kitty said...

There is a website called Blurb where you can download some software to turn your blog into a book. I'm half way through editing the first 6 months volume of mine. That way the kids will have something 'solid' to read in the future, which documents the ups and downs of their life. I don't know whether it's vanity publishing - I suppose it is in a way - but I'd really like them to have this in future. I know I'd love to have something similar from my parents, or even my grandparents. A snapshot of 'real' life.

I'd have been very happy with those hobbycraft presents. And I agree with you about blogging being 'therapy'.

x

Unknown said...

Hey Grit and Gritlets

Just wanted to say a big Happy Birthday (and extend apologies for talking so long to do so, rubbish, I know...)

Best wishes to the kids (particulary Shark of whom I am a huge fan)and keep up the 'therapy'

sharon said...

I'd be happy with Hobbycraft packs too ;-)

We love your therapy even though at times we worry for and about you so keep on keeping on.

Kitty's idea sounds good, are you going to investigate?

Time and life isn't being too kind to me at the moment but I hope to get a proper e-mail off to you soon. En route to Perth tomorrow for a weekend with elder son - that's the one where we get to re-stock his food and wine supplies (but draw the line at bottles of gin), ferry him around town for meetings with potential stockists/suppliers etc and provide opportunities for retail therapy. Middle of next week younger son is coming to stay with us for a week as he has to take some of his annual leave time and as he's saving up to move again can't go anywhere else! I tell you the parenting never stops.

Waffle said...

I am similarly naked and self-flagellating, but bugger it. It helps you, it helps me, it helps other people feel less inadequate occasionally.

I think I might look for something nasty in the fridge to post today. Everyone is sick of me whining. Got any cabbage action?

Mean Mom said...

Belated Happy Birthday to the girls!

Your blog will be a wonderful record of the gritlets growing up. I wish that I had been able to do something like that, when my lads were younger. I thought that I would remember all of the funny incidents and remarks forever, but, of course, I hardly remember anything now!

Grit said...

hi kitty! i think i will do this. it is vanity publishing and that's fine by me. most of the self-indulgent academic books i set by distinguished authors fall into that category imho. and if it's good enough for them, it's good enough for me.

thank you trevor! in ten years shark will hunt you down and argue with you on fine matters of plankton.

i don't know whether to be blessed or cursed sharon with the idea of parenting until i drop down dead with the last words of motherhood left on my lips. 'don't forget there's a trifle in the fridge'.

jaywalker. i am an idiot. i threw out the remnants of the christmas stilton only yesterday. i could kick myself now. i might try and retrieve it from the bin.

it is the vodka, mean mom, the vodka. take it with juice.

R. Molder said...

9 years Grit - that's quite an accomplishment. I go back 9 years and I'm not married, in college and ready to take on a career. Look where that got me - bored and jaded. I'm hoping the next 9 years are full of fun with my baby girl.

Brad said...

I love blogging for the odd people it brings into my life. Present company included of course.